Planning approval for a new discount Aldi store in Tuam has been appealed to An Bord Pleanála.
Aldi secured planning permission from the county council last December for a 1,325sqm store on the Ballygaddy Road, Tuam.
The council only gave the discount retail store its approval after carrying out significant redesigns to improve on its “box like” appearance.
An appeal against the county council’s decision was lodged by the Retail, Grocery, Dairy & Allied Trade Association on January 23 of this year.
The RGDATA is a representative group for independent and family owned grocery outlets nationwide.
In their appeal the group stated that the viability of the commercial core of Tuam is “particularly vulnerable” with a high standing vacancy rate.
The appeal stated that the “edge of centre” location chosen for the new Aldi store would contravene the Local Area Plan’s Objective 4 of protecting the town core retail.
It was also argued that the Retail Impact Assessment submitted with the application was insufficient as it left out nearby Supervalu and Mr Price stores within the catchment area.
The location of the new store also contravenes the zoning objectives for this land, it is argued, which envisaged a larger scale, mixed use development rather than a low ceiling retailed.
It is also argued that the 97 parking spaces included in the plans are insufficient for the amount of retail floorspace in the development.
The site is currently a builder’s providers yard next to Glynn’s Homevalue Hardware, and part of this development will involve the demolition of an existing building and other structures on the site before construction.
In their application Aldi said the new store will “act as a driver for economic growth for the town of Tuam and its hinterlands”.
An Bord Pleanála is due to make a ruling on this case by May 27 of this year.
Wires Crossed is one of the flagship events of Galway 2020 taking place this August, where 400 people will tightrope walk across the Corrib.
However it may that this tightrope event will only have foreign participants, as almost 150 Irish people who are registered to take part may not be able to do so thanks to the insurance crisis.
Galway Community Circus, the group organising the event, has warned that unless its insurance woes are solved soon, many Irish people will not be able to train in time the Irish Times reports.
Last November it emerged that the Community Circus was struggling to secure adequate insurance cover with spiralling costs and tight restrictions.
Its insurance premiums jumped from €4,500 in 2016, to €15,886 in 2017 despite never having any claims against it.
Last year the circus was only able to secure a single quote for insurance cover at €23,890, and crucially this policy does not cover aerial acrobatics or any activity more than 1.5m off the ground.
This directly affected the classes and activities offered to the 650 members of the community youth circus, and may jeopardise their participation in Wires Crossed.
Unless the insurance issue is resolved by the end of February, then people who are expected to begin training in March will not have enough preparation time to take part said spokesperson Dani Gill according to the Times.
Instead the only ones taking part come August will be those with cheaper foreign insurance.
It was also reported that the government has refused to meet to discuss this issues, with the Department of Culture, Heritage, and the Gaeltacht saying they cannot directly control the cost of insurance.
Wires Cross will see 400 people cross the Corrib in a row in one 33 hour stretch to highlight mental health problems in the community.
Aran Island Ferries travelled to India last week as part of Tourism Ireland’s sales mission in the country.
The delegation of Irish tourism companies, which included hoteliers and visitor attractions, met hundreds of tour operators and travel agents in Mumbai and New Delhi.
The companies also met influential travel journalists and bloggers.
The aim of the sales mission was to build awareness of the many things to see and do on a holiday in Ireland and encourage tour operators and travel agents in India to include Ireland in their programmes and brochures for 2020 and beyond.
The sales mission also provided Tourism Ireland with a good opportunity to highlight ease of access to Ireland – including the British Irish Visa Scheme, which allows Indian travellers to visit both Ireland and the UK, including Northern Ireland, using a single visa.
Siobhan McManamy, Tourism Ireland’s Director of Markets, said: “Our sales mission gave our Irish tourism partners, including Aran Island Ferries, a really good platform to inform and influence the travel professionals they met about what Galway and Ireland have to offer and, importantly, to encourage them to include the destination in their future brochures and programmes.
“Tourism Ireland is committed to growing visitor numbers from our emerging tourism markets and our annual sales missions play a significant role in helping us achieve this goal.”
Employees at Genesys have raised €8,489 for local charity, COPE Galway.
The money was raised by employees and backed by attendees at the Genesys Analyst Summit hosted at the Ashford Castle.
Genesys is the global leader in multi-experience customer and contact center solutions.
The organisation established its presence in Ireland in 2018 when it acquired Galway-based Altocloud from Irish serial tech entrepreneur Barry O’Sullivan.
Since the Altocloud acquisition, the company has opened its global Artificial Intelligence (AI) Centre of Excellence in Galway and appointed Barry O’Sullivan as Executive Vice President and General Manager for Genesys Multicloud Solutions.
Commenting on the donation, Barry O’Sullivan said: “COPE is a fantastic charity doing vital work here in Galway, and Genesys is proud to support its mission to help vulnerable people in the community.
“We would like to thank all of the wonderful analysts, partners and Genesys employees who contributed to this noteworthy cause, which works to improve the lives of those who need it the most in Galway.”
A man who smashed a window at Oranmore Garda Station has been ordered to stay out of Galway as part of his suspended sentence.
Billy Hill, with no fixed address in Cork, pleaded guilty to criminal damage and threatening, abusive or insulting behaviour at Oranmore Garda Station last May.
Facts were heard on a previous date when Judge Cashin heard that Mr Hill threw a rock through the station’s window on May 28, 2019, causing €300 worth of damage.
Separately, he also pleaded guilty this week to Failure to Appear before the court while on recognisance on the date of June 5 of last year.
A probation report said that Mr Hill had failed to show for two appointments the probation services had for him last October.
Solicitor for the accused Seán Acton said that the reason his client didn’t appear was because he was homeless on the streets of Cork at the time.
Judge Mary Fahy said that there was no point in waiting for compensation, and that he was clearly not suitable for community service.
She imposed a four month prison sentence for the criminal damage charge, with one month concurrent each for the threatening, abusive, or insulting behaviour and Failure to Appear charges.
The prison sentence was suspended in its entirety for one year.
As conditions of the suspended sentence Judge Fahy ordered Mr Hill to remain away from Galway City and County, reside in Cork, and access all homelessness and other social assistance services available to him there.
Gort cemetery is undertaking an expansion which will allow it to hold more funeral urns with needing grave plots for each one.
Plans were submitted to the county council last July for construction of two Columbaria at St. Coleman’s Got cemetery on Church Street by the Gort Cemetery Committee.
A Columbarium is a structure specifically meant for housing funeral urns, which is usually designed with floor to ceiling niches for urns.
These will be built on raised limestone paving which already exists in the cemetery, and built from grey granite to be in keeping with their surroundings.
The planning application included a letter from the Sisters of Mercy Western Province leadership team giving the committee their permission to pursue this development.
Last August the county council made a request for further information, asking the developer to submit and Architectural Impact Assessment Report as the site is within the Architectural Conservation Area of Gort Town Centre.
The site of the cemetery is within the curtilage of Gort Library, which was formerly a Church of Ireland church, and is a protected structure.
The AIA report said that the project will have minimal impact on the library as the work is taking place over 40m away.
A Design Statement was also requested by the county council, which said “The columbaria have been designed to have minimal impact on the adjoining protected structure and existing graveyard”.
“The proposed design will assimilate into the existing environment as many of the existing headstones and grave surrounds have the same finish”.
“We have considered height, scale, and elevation treatment to be sympathetic to its surroundings and to be in context with the existing established vernacular of the area.”
Planning permission was granted by the county council, with the only conditions being that work take place in accordance with the plans submitted to the council, and the public notice erected on site.
Teenagers from across Galway have scooped awards at the All-Ireland Final of Scléip 2020, a celebration of contemporary music, song and dance as Gaeilge.
The final was held in the Clasach Theatre in Dublin where almost 300 star-struck students took to the stage throughout the event.
Galway winners
Among the Galway winners were Aodhán Breathnach and Aimee Ní Bhruacháin from Coláiste na Coiribe.
Under the guidance of their teacher Holly, Aodhán won first place in the senior section of the solo instrumentalist category, while Aimee took home second place for her rendition of Clean Bandit’s song Symphony.
Aimee Ní Bhruacháin, Colásite na Coiribe, performing her rendition of ‘Symphony’ in the senior section of the solo singing competition.
Coláiste an Eachréidh also took home an award, with Sorcha Ní Choncharraige taking to the stage for the senior section of the ‘solo singing competition with backing track’.
She was awarded first place in the competition with her own song, Beagnach ann.
Sorcha Ní Choncharraige, Coláiste an Eachréidh, pictured with Caoimhe Ní Chathail, Foras na Gaeilge and Meghan Mhic Thiarnáin, Gael Linn, accepting her first place award.
The group ‘Beogacht’ took home the Gradam NÓS award for the best newly composed song ‘Dóchas’, which they wrote to raise awareness for the charity ISPCC and performed in the junior section of the Pop/Rock singing group category.
Ailbhe Ní Mhurchú, Áine Ní Lochlainn agus Eoin Mac Donnchadha (Beogacht), took home the prestigious Gradam NÓS for their composition ‘Dóchas’.
Scoil Chuimsitheach Chiaráin students, collectively known as ‘Binneas’, were awarded second place for their presentation in the ensemble singing category.
Singer, Ailbhe Seoighe won first place in the junior section of the solo singing competition with self-accompaniment (Amhránaíochta Aonair le féintionlacan).
Sheona Ní Mháille was the teacher who guided them to their success.
The winners were presented with specially-designed plaque and medals.
Seán Ó Ceallaigh of Gael Linn praised the work put in by all the teachers and their dedication to encourage the young students who participated in the competition.
He also thanked Foras na Gaeilge for their continuing support of the event.
Work is still ongoing this evening to repair a burst water main on the Tuam road which is causing outages nearby and in Bohermore.
The water main burst around 3am this morning according to Irish Water, and work has been ongoing to repair the damage since 9am.
Repair works have yet to be completed, and traffic management on the Tuam Road will remain in place this evening.
Currently the repair work is expected to be completed by 7pm this evening.
Residents living on the Tuam Road, as well as homes and businesses in Bohermore, Mervue Business Park, Mervue, Riverside, and Liosban Industrial Estate may experience outages while work is ongoing.
People are advised that it may take 2 – 3 hours after repairs have been completed for their full water supply to be restored.
This is once of two burst mains on the Tuam Road today, after repairs were completed shortly before 4pm to a burst pipe in Glenanail.
Another burst pipe in Devon Park in Salthill was also repaired at roughly the same time.
A man has been jailed for stealing a woman’s debit card after taking multiple bench warrants for not showing up in court.
Florin Rostas (23), with a listed address at Flat 2 on the North Circular Road, Dublin, pleaded guilty at Galway District Court to theft of a debit card and two counts of failing to appear before the court while on bail.
The court heard that on the night of April 6, 2018 a woman had her Bank of Ireland debit card stolen at Electric nightclub in Galway City.
The card as tapped in multiple locations, one of which was at Daybreak newsagents in Eyre Square for a €25.25 charge.
Gardaí were able to identify Florin Rostas off of cctv footage at Daybreak and arrest him.
Two charges of Failure to Appear before the court were brought against Mr Rostas due to missed court dates under Section 13 of the Criminal Justice Act 1984.
The first of these was from January 6 of last year, after which a bench warrant was issued for his arrest.
This was executed on June 24, 2019, at which point Mr Rostas got bail and was ordered to appear before the court on October 7, which he failed to do.
Speaking for the defendant, barrister Gary MacDonald said that the reason his client didn’t show up in court was because he was back in back in Romania at the time.
Frustrated by the delays in this case Judge Mary Fahy said he had been given multiple chances and that this should have been dealt with a long time ago.
The judge said of the debit card theft “The amount spent in the shop is not the concern, it’s the inconvenience of losing it and fear of how much will be spent”.
Judge Fahy added that she believed he had come up from Dublin specifically to offend, saying “He had no notion of going to the nightclub in my view”.
The court heard that Mr Rostas, who has 24 previous convictions, is currently serving a 14 month sentence which will end on November 19 of this year, before considering any time from this case.
Mr McDonald asked the court not add any additional prison time to his current sentence, but Judge Fahy said that she would due to the manner in which he handled this.
For the theft at Daybreak the judge imposed six months in prison, which will be served after his current sentence is complete.
For each of the Failure to Appear charges a one month consecutive sentence was imposed, and suspended for 12 month on the condition that Rostas stay out of Galway city and county.
Recognisance in the event of an appeal was set at €1,200. This included an own bond of €400, and an independent surety of €800 due to failing to appear on multiple occassions.
Love’s labours lost, Nathan reconnect with family, and Caitríona crosses the line to solve her money problems on Ros na Rún.
Caitríona has kep her ongoing financial difficulties close to the chest on Ros na Rún, and she sinks even lower today.
Under pressure to purchase a microscope for her daughter Maeve, she resorts to desperate measures and engages in an illegal activity.
Will crossing the law like this mean the beginning of the end for Caitríona?
Spring is in the air, but unfortunately love isn’t for poor Réailtín.
On finding out that her interest in Nathan is not reciprocated, she soon scurries home upset.
Laoise comes to the rescue, and after a heart to heart chat with her, and an explanation about The Slow Set of the Eighties, Réaltín is appeased for now.
But a happy Laoise is soon taken aback when she sees a face from the past, leaving her worried for the future.
Nathan is delighted to spend time with his grandmother Jude as they sit, chat, and eat chocolates together.
Nathan is finally relieved to be a part of a family,.and when Jude forgets who he is, this leaves him crestfallen.
Catch all of this on Ros na Rún on TG4 this Tuesday at 8:30pm.
A new you for a new year is an old adage, and the reason some sayings get so old is because they hold true. The Connacht Hotel certainly thinks the idea has merit, with a refurbished look launched for 2020 which brings new colour, light, and style to the entire ground floor lobby, bar, and restaurant.
With an eclectic, quirky design that incorporates bespoke artwork, lush greenery, and a modern elegance into a wide range of wonderful social and dining spaces, the Connacht Hotel is putting it’s best face forward to welcome tourists and locals alike.
The refurbishments, which were carried out in early January, have completely overhauled the hotel’s Bar Solo and Reuben’s restaurant, and adds plenty of nooks and crannies where people can sit and enjoy a coffee from the new Barista Bar in the lobby.
Laurence Toal, Deputy General Manager of the Connacht Hotel, said that this facelift is something the owners have been considering for several years, but that now was just the right moment to put the investment in.
The hotel lobby is filled with new light
And it’s easy to see why they thought as much. The Connacht is in the middle of a very important stage in its life. Throughout all of last year the hotel was celebrating its 50th anniversary. And as for the year ahead, the European Capital of Culture award has seen half the world’s travel guides place Galway on their “must visit” lists for 2020.
“You could see it as the closure of that 50 years and the beginning of the new 50 years, it was just the ideal time to move forwards,” Laurence says.
The expectations guests have of a hotel have evolved over time. As popular as the hotel and bar remain, especially with their new facelift, people also like a less formal space where they can relax or meet with friends, maybe grabbing a drink and a light snack.
The lobby now features an enclosed library space that incorporates clever design features and stylish furnishings. Playful and not too formal to allow you mix work and leisure in a relaxed environment.
New lobby lounge at the Connacht Hotel
One of the most innovative additions is the new Barista Bar placed in the hotel lobby, which adds an entire new dimension to the area. Hotel lobbies can be cold and daunting places, but now, before arriving guests even reach the check in desk, they can grab a coffee and a snack from the friendly staff.
Food in hand, there are an ample supply of comfortable spots to settle down in, complete with plenty of plug and USB sockets that make it a perfect place for people to meet and work.
Lobby Barista Bar
“There’s a huge buzz around the lobby and conservatory which there never was before,” Laurence says, “Because it was just an area where people came to check in, but now it’s the centre of attention”.
The Bar Solo has been redesigned to maximise the use of its space and provide a stylish design. Its new appearance calls back to the hotel’s history with a hint of old school elegance, but still with a very modern vibe.
The newly refurbished Bar Solo
If the buzz of the bar gets a little too much, just step through the floor to ceiling panelled french doors into the botanical inspired oasis that the front conservatory corridor has become.
Filled with light and lush greenery, this area shows a face to the world that blurs the line between indoor and outdoor space. Filled with elegant furnishings that catch the sun on one side and keep the plants on the other, it calls to mind nothing so much as greenhouse. One might almost look up and expect to see and hear parakeets making their home in its heights.
Rueben’s Restaurant has also got a fresh new look, using bold colours to define spaces and stylish feature-wall partition, letting guests have the option of private dining and group lunches.
“We’re a huge operation here,” Laurence says, explaining the need to squeeze the most out of their space, “We have 350 bedrooms and we have the 24 hour Active Fitness.”
The Connacht Hotel has indeed expanded repeatedly down the years since first opening in 1969, adding more rooms until now there can be as many as 1,000 guests at the hotel on any given night.
“And it all ties together through the food and beverage department. It is the hub in many ways, the meeting place, everybody passes through here.”
The Connacht Hotel meeting rooms have also been treated to a makeover with a fresh new look and an additional breakout and registration area added after feedback from clients.
The entire renovation was carried out in early January, after the busy Christmas and New Year’s period Laurence explains, but before tourist season picks up again once the holiday hangover clears.
A remarkable amount of work was done ahead of time and behind the scenes, and carried out with enough military precision that the entire project only involved a ten day closure.
There’s still a few tweaks to be made before they’ll declare themselves completely satisfied with the finished product, Laurence tells me, so it’s expected that the new look will continue to evolve in the weeks and months to come.
But feedback from guests has been overwhelmingly positive so far he says, and it’s not just tourists that are taking notice.
No-one passing by can fail to notice the bold new face the Connacht is showing to the world, and more than just tourist traffic is having their curiosity peaked by the recent facelift.
They bar and restaurant already attract a big local trade, Laurence tells me, “Especially on the weekends we have a lot of regulars that come in for food and drink”, but that obviously they hope to grow that trade.
“They’re enjoying it, they’re looking at the menu and they’re maybe thinking we could come here for a business meeting or we’ll come here for a night out, or with our family for a special occasion.”
The Connacht Hotel is one of the only big combined drinks and dining options on this side of the city Laurence points out, a big market to be tapped.
“What they see and what they get is what’s going to make them return, and tell their friends.”
The only thing that isn’t changing at the hotel is their friendly, welcoming staff, some of whom have been making guests at home at the Connacht for over 40 years.
This personal touch, beyond all the fittings and fixtures, is what keeps guests coming back year after year. But having a bright and modern face to show the world certainly helps.
The final countdown is underway to the opening of the Galway 2020 European Capital of Culture, with the opening celebrations rumbling their way through the county.
The week long celebration rolling its way through the towns of Galway got underway on Sunday to mark the beginning of Galway 2020, with a display of light and sound in Clifden.
A special community cast procession made its way to the centre of Clifden for the lighting of the town sphere, with more fiery celebrations to follow this week in Spiddal, Tuam, Ballinasloe, Athenry, and Portumna.
The cast from each of these events will come together and join others for the spectacular open air finale in South Park, Galway city on Sunday.
There President of Ireland Michael D Higgins will be on hand to officially inaugurate the European Capital of Culture year, joined by Ireland’s poets, artists and musicians for a once in a lifetime experience of fire and fury.
Galway 2020 Creative Director, Helen Marriage said that this is an extraordinary moment, not just for Galway, but for all Ireland.
“Over the coming week we will see the towns of Galway join the celebrations in a fire tour culminating on Saturday in a spectacular open-air show to mark the beginning of Galway’s year as European Capital of Culture 2020.
“The cast for the opening ceremony brings together hundreds of amazing participants from towns and villages across the County of Galway, who will transform South Park with drumming, chanting and flame.”
Helen added that the celebration taking place on Saturday will be like “nothing we have ever seen in Ireland, and reflects the scale of our cultural programme that will unfold over the coming year.”
The ceremony, which has been imagined as a timeless and authentic celebration of the people and traditions of Galway and Ireland, will be delivered in a dramatic explosion of sound and vision.
Seven hand-carved steel sculptures, the town spheres, each reflecting the stories and traditions of the Galway town they represent will be transformed by flame into giant glowing orbs.
They will stand as beacons lighting up the headland over Galway Bay, where the renowned red sailing boats, the Galway Hookers, will assemble illuminated in the bay.
At the ceremony, a new work by Louis de Paor, one of the most celebrated poets of the Irish Language, will be premièred. Entitled A Call to Ireland and specially created for Galway’s year as European Capital of Culture.
The spoken word piece will feature the familiar voices of Caitlin Ní Chualáin, Olwen Fouéré, Bríd Ní Neachtain, Stephen Rea and Naisrín Elsafty.
Gates open at 4pm and entertainment begins at 5pm with performances by Róisín Elsafty, Amazing Apples and No Crows.
You should plan to arrive in plenty of time so that you find a space and are ready for the main event which starts at 6pm. The approximate end time is 7.45pm
A Boil Water Notice has been issued for people living in the Cleggan and Claddaghduff areas after a breakdown at the treatment plant.
The Boil Water Notice covers roughly 500 people living in the area of Rusheen; Aughrus beg; Gannoughs; Aughrus More; Patches; Emlagh; Grallagh; Leagaun; Rossadillisk; Attigoddaun; Mooreen; Trean; Claddaghduff; Cleggan and surrounding areas.
The Trean and Emlough Group Water Schemes are also impacted by this notice.
The notice has been put in place as a precaution following a mechanical breakdown at the water treatment plant according to Irish Water.
Drinking water compliance and operational experts are working with colleagues in Galway County Council to resolve the issue the agency said.
In the meantime residents of the affected areas are advised to boil their water before usage.
Any water that is being used for drinking, in the preparation of food that will not be cooked before eating (i.e salads), brushing teeth, or preparing baby formula should be boiled first.
It’s not necessary to boil water that’s for bathing or watering plants, though when bathing an infant extra care should be taken to ensure the child doesn’t swallow any water.
Irish water advises that standard domestic water filters will not be able to purify the affected water.
The Lantern Bar in Ballybane has had its drinks licence renewed after the owners and former operator of the pub made a successful appeal to the Circuit Court, to the dismay of local objectors.
Judge Mary Fahy had refused to renew the drinks licence for the pub at the District Court last November after objections from the Gardaí.
However this was overturned on appeal at the Circuit Court this after Judge James McCourt heard that the then licencee of the pub Danny Kenny has surrendered his lease, which was not due to expire, back to the owner Mary Lydon and effectively returned the licence.
A separate application to officially transfer the licence back to Mrs Lydon will now go back to the Galway District Court.
At the District Court hearing last November Gardaí presented evidence of multiple serious incidents last year including fighting in the car park outside, juveniles drinking in the pub, and one serious incident in May where a Christening party got completely out of control.
Giving evidence at the Circuit Court this week, Sergeant Brendan Moore, the licencing officer for Galway City, said that there were 31 incidents at the pub between New Year’s of 2019, and the time of its closing.
The Sgt added that five particularly serious incidents were listed in the objection in November to avoid having to bring 31 Gardaí in to give evidence.
Other than one time, which was connected to a planning issue and not a management one, the Sgt said that he cannot recall a single other time when gardaí objected to the renewal of a drinks licence in the city.
Sgt Moore remarked that “we seem to be impotent” when it comes to objecting to a premises, because there seems to be an “opt out clause” available that someone can simply transfer the licence of there is an objection.
He said that due to the frequency with which incidents cropped up at the Lantern Bar he would frequently go round at closing time to ensure it closed up in an orderly fashion.
He often required the backup of other officers to do so, sometimes bringing as many as 12 garda officers.
Judge James McCourt said that it seemed to be the case that the issue is that Mr Kenny was not a fit person to manage the pub.
The state argued that the decision on whether to renew the licence should be made solely on the objections raised by gardaí.
It was said that if a drinks licence is able to be renewed simply because the person who has been operating it has given up the lease, then no renewal could ever really be objected to by the gardaí.
Danny Kenny, the former lease holder of the Lantern Bar, said that while he held the licence on the pub from 2016 to early September last year, he left the day to day running to his manager.
Though he handed back the licence a few weeks after the gardaí served notice that they intended to object to the renewal of the licence, he said that he had been in discussions with the Lydons to terminate his lease from much earlier in the year.
This was due to the company, Kingu Kongu Ltd, has been liquidated due to the debt it was accumulating, and that by the time the pub stopped trading he was in arrears on the rent to the tune of roughly €8,000.
He claimed that he was unaware of the extent of the issues with the pub, only stopping in two or three times a week, when he would check the incident book with his manager.
He said that whenever gardaí requested cctv footage they complied, but that he was never personally approached about the extent of the issues at the pub by Gardaí.
The state asked Kenny if he didn’t think, after the amount of incidents which took place, that he should approach them himself.
He was also asked if he was aware of multiple incidents in May of last year when Gardaí found juveniles drinking in the pub, or about a major public order incident on May 7 where gardaí had to use pepper spray to make arrests.
“I was not there on the day in question,” Mr Kenny said of the first incident of underage drinking raised in court, “and I can’t imagine my manager letting a juvenile in unless he showed fake ID or was with his father.”
Terry Lydon, son of the owner Mary Lydon, is the person who manages the properties the she owns, collecting rent and so on.
He gave evidence in court that he had seen a video going around on WhatsApp in January 2019 which appeared to show a “ruckus” outside the Lantern Bar.
When he called Mr Kenny the next day, Kenny told him that the incident occurred in the car park outside the pub.
At that time they spoke about the possibility of Mr Kenny giving up the lease as business was apparently slow, but he said that he would try to keep it going to summer.
The spoke again in May, but Kenny told him then that he would try to keep it running to August.
Sometime in late August or early September Kenny finally surrendered the lease, and that was when Lydon first heard that he thought gardaí were going to object to the renewal of the licence the Circuit Court heard.
He only learned the extent of the Gardaí’s objections at the District Court hearing last November, he said.
Mrs Lydon’s barrister Paul Mr McGettigan said that an insinuation was being made that the drinks licence is being “laundered” in order to get around a garda objection, but that this was untrue.
Judge McCourt said that while he was satisfied that the objections raised by gardaí were well founded and accepted by all, he was also satisfied that the lease and licence had been properly surrendered.
He granted the motion to renew the drinks licence, noting that even if he refused to do so, Mrs Lydon would be entitled to an automatic revival of the licence.
After the hearing, one local resident said that while the judge followed the law in this case, no consideration was given to the impact this has had on the local population.
Concerns have been raised that multiple roles at Portiuncula Hospital recommended by an independent report are still unfilled after almost two years.
The Walker Report, an independent review of Maternity services at Portiuncula Hospital, was published in April 2018.
But in the time since then, many of recommendations in the report remain unfulfilled Galway East TD Anne Rabitte says.
In particular, multiple staff positions which were recommended by the report still have not been filled a parliamentary question from Deputy Rabbitte revealed.
The Walker Report was commissioned after reports of six babies referred for Therapeutic Hypothermia from Portiuncula in 2014.
The report ultimately found that while care was of a high standard for a majority of women “the staffing levels were insufficient, making it difficult to provide care for women when things went wrong”.
“There was a lack of senior midwifery support in the labour ward and a lack of a consultant presence,” the report read.
In response to a parliamentary report from Anne Rabbitte, the Saolta Healthcare Group said that the appointment of a Peri-natal Pathologist, Sonographers, and Consultant Obstetricians/Gynaecologists are all outstanding.
“We are over a year and a half since the Walker Report was published. The report made 35 key recommendations yet some of these remain outstanding which is very concerning.”
“We must not forget the reason this independent review led by Professor James Walker was carried out, and should ensure incidents like those never happen again.”
“Expectant parents deserve to know that there are the required medical professionals in Portiuncla Hospital as they go through one of the most important times in their lives.”
The Saolta Group has said that several of these post are expected to be addressed in the coming weeks, with more progress by year’s end.
Deputy Rabbitte said that these positions badly need to be filled for the hospital to fulfil its intended function.
A planning application has been for the construction of a new multi-storey car park and offices in Galway City.
Eurotiger Limited is seeking approval for a development at Wayfair House, formerly Connaught House, on the Tuam road which will include a multi-storey car park and offices.
They project will involve the construction of a five storey extension to the rear of an existing office building in Mervue.
The five storey extension will consist of a three storey car park, with a further two storeys of offices on top of that.
The site currently consists of a surface car park for the existing office block, and it is intended that this multi-storey development will provide 69 car parking spaces.
The proposed development also includes 20 bicycle parking spaces.
The new building will have a total floor area of 3,984sqm, and of that 1,372sqm will be office space spread over two levels.
A new stairs and lift core will be built along the south west boundary, connecting to the existing office block through a new lobby.
The project will also involve removing a 50m high telecom mast that’s currently on the site, and replacing it with a rooftop mast on the new building.
“The existing arrangement on site sees Connaught House having reached its full capacity with its current tenant, Wayfair,” the planning application states.
“Currently the parking requirement is supplemented through the lease of additional spaces along the South Western boundary, but additional space is now needed”.
“This extension would bring much needed parking and additional office space to the existing office building while integrating well into the surrounding area”.
A Transport Assessment and Mobility Management Plan were submitted as part of this planning application, along with an Appropriate Assessment Screening Report.
Galway City Council is due to make a decision on this planning application by February 22.
Galway’s young people were honoured for their work in the community this week at the annual Garda Divisional Youth Awards.
The second annual Garda Divisional Youth Awards took place at Galway Racecourse on Thursday, with winners and nominees in five categories.
The Special Achievement Award went to Olga Spellman of Tuam, while the Group Award Winners were Mark Wynne, Kelan Barrett, and Dion Darcy of Corrib Rangers FC in Newcastle.
The Individual Award winner was Jakob Kostanski from Rahoon, and the Community Safety Award went to the Happy Head Crew in North Galway.
Finally, the Derek Cullinane Award was presented to Sean McDonagh, of Mountbellow Holy Rosary College.
Three other nominees in three categories were also awarded a certificate to recognise their contributions to their communities.
In the Special Achievement category they were Ódhrán Dooley of Ballinasloe, Corman Crawford from Inis Mór, and Abbey Smith from the Headford Road.
The other Group Award category nominees were Forum Adolescent Support Project in Clifden, Cordell Boateng and Elberte Kiki of the Doughiska Road, Galway City, and students of Youth Reach in Letterfrack
And Robert Ó hAlluráin from Leitir Móir, Precious Tedeye of Doughiska, and Michael Buckley from Athenry were nominated in the Individual Award category.
Another ceremony will take place late in February to honour all of the other young people who participated in the awards.
A man who was caught drink driving at more than four times the legal limit has been fined and disqualified from driving.
Ciaran Canavan, of Ballinahown Inverin, was convicted of drink driving at Galway District Court this week for an offence last year.
Sergeant Ronan Mahon told the District Court that on the night of January 1, 2019 he was on mobile patrol on the west side of Galway City
Shortly before midnight he observed a red Vauxhall van driving down the Kingston Road after passing through the junction with the Bishop O’Donnell Road.
The van was first going at a slow pace, but kept accelerating until he was forced to slow down because of cars ahead.
Garda Murphy said that the van then veered left, almost hitting the kerb, before veering back into the middle of the road. The garda then pulled over the van.
As he was speaking to the driver, Ciaran Canavan, Garda Murphy noticed that his words were slurred, and Canavan admitted he had been drinking at a house party.
After being arrested on suspicion of drink driving and brought back to the Garda Station Canavan was only slightly cooperative Garda Muprhy said.
He gave his personal details, but refused to sign the custody record, and then refused to take a breathalyser exam when a requirement was made of him.
The nurse was then summoned to take a blood or urine sample, and while waiting for her to arrive Canavan was placed in one of the holding cells.
However he kept banging against the door of the cell until he was brought back to the reception of the station’s holding area.
When the nurse arrived Canavan opted to provide a urine sample. This was sent to the Medical Bureau for analysis, and came back with a reading of 323mg of alcohol per 100ml of urine.
The legal limit for a urine sample is 67mg/100ml.
Solicitor for the accused Gearoid Geraghty argued that in the paperwork filled in for these samples, in the first instance blood was ticked as the sample given.
But Judge Mary Fahy said that while it would have been ‘preferable’ for the paperwork to be correct in all instances, it did refer to a urine sample at multiple other points.
She convicted Canavan of drink driving, noting that the reading was very high, even for a urine sample.
Judge Fahy imposed a fine of €400, with a further €250 required for the Medical Bureau expenses, and disqualified Canavan from driving for three years.
Recognisance was set at €300 in the event of an appeal, with no cash lodgement required.
There were just under 900 patients on trolleys at University Hospital Galway in January during the second worst month for overcrowding on record.
UHG had the third highest amount of trolleys out of Ireland’s public hospital this month according to the Irish Nurses and Midwives Organisation, with 872 patients forced to wait without a bed.
That’s more than 60 percent higher than the same period in 2019, where there were 534 without a bed, and more than double the number in January 2010.
Portiuncula Hospital in Ballinasloe has also seen its trolley figures double in the past year, from 109 in January 2019, to 223 in the last month.
“To show real leadership on health, political leaders need to set out how they will grow capacity, recruit more staff, and really kickstart the Sláintecare reforms,” said INMO General Secretary Phil Ní Sheaghdha.
“It’s not rocket science: we know how to fix the health service. The plan is there. All we need is the investment and political will to back up manifesto promises.”
“If members of the public are concerned about the health service, I’d ask them to raise it as a priority with any canvassers who come to their door.”
In total there just over 12,000 patients went without beds in Ireland’s hospitals this month, the second worst month for overcrowding on record.
January also 2020 saw record high levels of overcrowding on the 6th and 7th of January, where 760 patients received care on trolleys and chairs.
Figures from the INMO’s daily Trolley/Ward Watch show that University Hospital Galway is also the third most overcrowded hospital today, with
